THE MOTOR WORLD

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 3 January 1925, Page 13

THE MOTOR WORLD

Si NEWS AND NOTES. V \ r ' 'I 1 ; ■ • ‘ . ?; White some boroughs in Taranaki and other provinces allow motorists to leave their ears an certain puouc pmces au .iUght without lights and other towns are being urged to todow suit it has been pointed out tha sueli author 1 y £« legally be given by the tea bodies anu tnat beiore this matter cuu Site on a proper looting an arnenn- ‘ ■ U S O m'pubue Prices he malted, wauid have to illy it.gllt must IK ’ muSSS-thfi party of Australians who were in Grey mouth recently suggested To an Argus -porter that u ; guide containing a list oi the va i Sic resorts near the town should be distributed during the holi ’ or placed in handy places at the • hotels for the oeneht oi visitois. ous hotels^ ioi ~w e do not Know wiiere to go, and we are afraid or leav. ”ng th“ fart of the, country without ‘SSSssrtesas i=Mt^o f c now reached anothei sta e wa terwa/ ‘ course of deterioration as a ''ateiw^ (savs the Lyttelton Times) is evidences bV the fact that until this year a shallow draught motor boat t {^ s v S I tydf to- make tne- trip, from the Stamnore road bridge to New B! i„ldon at any state of the tide, This sense it has been found impossible to nUke the journey except ..at high tide, motor boat draws just under a foot,and a-half oi water. . . t'nv& i The condition of a taxi has been causing some cancel“ J the borough council lately, u th “ ® owner of the car wanted his htenee renewed, but could - only havejt con ditionally ou producing a tcrtiDcate from some competent person ttelte_the car was in a fit and "pfopeWr state to bTused as a public boigteyance (savs the Mataura Ensign). It did not seem to be an easy matter to find anyone willing to shoulder that responsiWitty.. However n note wrf. ehpped ‘ underneath the Council Cm ■ door the other night, signed by ML J, A. S. Aitken, which stated that be thought the car was all right lnechfinically “Oh well,” said the M.iyoi, even though it may not be comfortable,; it may be quite sound.” “It makes enough sound, anyway,”, interjected a councillor admidst laughter The taxi-driver will . continue with his present conditional licence until next jlXay. . Some observations upon “highway etiquette” were made by Mr. . iv. Hunt. S.M., in dealing with a motor collision case at the Auckland i trate’s Court recently. ' In the coiirse of his Temarks the magistrate said n was of opinion that heavy commercia vehicles should be compelled to travel close to the kerb. The provision of a special slow speed track for such traffic would contribute to safety. Mr. Hurit also, “remarked that he had frequently experienced instances of heavy keeping to the tram rails or travelling on the crown of the road to the; annoyance and hindrance of lighter traffic The drivers usually took scant notice of the warnings sounded by pars which were attempting to and the overtaking party took the >-isk of a • bump. Mr. Hunt also said the over-

taking driver had no right to attempt to pills a preceding venicl© until lie had received some indication that his intention was understood by the other man.

MOTOR. VEHICLES ACTT DUTY OF MOTORISTS. REGISTR ATI ON FROM JANUARY 1. T-fie/ provisions of the new Motor Vehicles Act make it compulsory for all motorists to register their motor vehicles and to take out an annual license oil and after to-morrow (January 1), one Tnonth being given in which to do so.

The registration fee payable for all motor vehicles (the Act defines a motor vehicle) is £l, except motorcycles, for which the fee is 10s, and for the annual license owners are liable for the following fees: j £ s. d. , Motor-cycle 0 10 0 , Private motor-car .... 2 0 0 I Public motor-par 2 0 0 .) Motor coach or bus 5 0 0 “ In addition to the above fees •every driver of a motor vehicle must have a driver’s license which any j local authority may issue on payment !of a fee of ss, so that in the firf-t year the owner of a private car will have to pay a total in fees of £3 ss. | NUMBER. PLATES. I It will be' seen from clause (5 (1) provision is made that on receipt of an application for registration the Deputy Registrar shall assign a number to be affixed to the motor vehicle, and while it is possible that under this the. old numbers will be retained "it is evidently intended that on. a CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP

the number wilt go with the car. Clause 17 (1) provides that it a registered motor vehicle is sold, or otherwise disposed of, the person selling the same shall, within seven days, notify the Deputy Registrar, giving the name and address of the pew owner, together with the certificate of. .registration of the motor vehicle and the then current annual license. These will then be endorsed and re-issued, to the new owner on payment of a fee of os. ■

Under clause 35, in respect to regulations which may be made by Order-in-Council, wide powers are given, ,and regulations may be made for the issue of f marks or devices to denote /the registration or the _ annual licensing of motor, vehicles which may provide for the retention of the original*' numbers. t ACCIDENTS. If an acicdent, arising directly, or indirectly from the use of a motor vehicle, occurs to any person, or horse, or’vehicle in charge of any person, the driver of the motor vehicle shall stop, and /; .if required, give his name and address to any constable, or any other person concerned, and also the name and address of the owner and the number of the inotor vehicle. The responsibility of rendering all practicable assistance in an accident is thrown upon the owner by clause 30 (2). which also makes it. compulsory for the owner to immediately report the same at the nearest police station, if the same has •not already been reported to a constable.

INTOXICATED DRIVERS. Heavy penalties are provided for drivers who are intoxicated white in charge of a motor vehicle. No sane motorist will question the clause which provides for a fine of £IOO, or to imprisonment for three months, for driving a motor vehicle negligently, recklessly or in a manner which might be dangerous. A term not exceeding five years or a fine, not exceeding £SOO, is imposed in the case of causing bodily injury to or the death of any person. ENDORSEMENT OF LICENSES.

Provision is made for the endorsement of licenses, to stand for three years, with confiscation after the second endorsement. It is a further offence against the Act if a convicted person fails to produce his license to the court for the purpose of its endorsement within seven days after having been required to do so.

SOUTHERN TASMANIAN RELIABILITY TRIAL. Something o,f a sensation was caused in the Apple land recently by Mrs. L. Watkins being declared the outright winner of the reliability trial held from Hobart to t>he Great Lakes and back. Mrs. Watkins (solo) came through without loss of points. She was awarded the gold medal and made an honorary member of the Tasmanian Motorcycle Club for Life. Mrs. V atkins, who by the way is quite a young and charming girl, is perhaps the first woman motorcyclist who has com petec. in a reliability trial in Australasia, and won it.

“I want a. very careful chauffeur—a man who takes no risks.” “I’m the man, Sir. I even ask for my salary in advance.

TRAFFrC PROBLEMS. PARKING CARS. METHODS IN AMERICA. INSPECTOR TURBETT’S OBSERVATION. Inspector E. Turbett, of the Police Department, arrived back in Sydney recently from a tour of the lln ted States. , The object of the trip was to study traffic problems there, and to furnish an official report embodying his observations. In an interview on arrival, Inspector Turbett said that the vexed question of car parking had been successfully overcome in the large cities of America. Owners of such blocks, however, were not troubled with excessive taxes, as might be expected, because unimproved land was immune from taxation in the States. The garage system had largely helped to solve the parking problem. A recently constructed garage at Seattle could accommodate 1000 cars. One half of the bulding was half as high, as the other, with nine floors. Ramps lead to the floors, the cars going up on the winding stair principle. The garage was in the middle of the city, and was a wonderful building, from both the design and utility viewpoints. It had a shopping area or frontage on the ground floor, and the internal arrangements were the last word in convenience. The garages were mostly run by private enterprise. Lifts used in some of 'the buildings, but he preferred the fame system.

■Rpferrinrr to traffic control, Inspector Turbett stated that there was no

uniform system of mechanical signallers in the cities of the United States. Everyone seemed to be waiting to see which of the many styles in vogue would prove to be the most effective. The mechanical signals in Fifth-avenue, New York, and in Michigan-avenue, Chicago, corresponded, but apart from these there was the greatest variety. The “stop” and “go” signal which was used in Sydney some time ago was still employed in some cities, but it was a primitive arrangement. The traffic towers in New York appeared to be working satisfactorily. “It is clear that our system of, allowing the cars to pile up along the streets is obsolete,” the inspector concluded.

GOOD GRAVEL ROADS. A TRAVELLER’S IMPRESSIONS. NEW MAINTENANCE METHODS NEEDED. While bituminous road surfaces have distinct advantages where they can b afforded, and are economically justified bv the volume of traffic, theic can bo no doubt that over a tremendous mileage ot Near Zealand s hi h way* improvement will have to ht sought by less expensive methods. Attention has been directed ■ in these columns to what America lias done in nrravel road maintenance, and it as therefore interesting to have the views of a motorist who lias driven ovei both New Zealand and American roads. In a letter to the editor of the Donum on • Mr Alfred Seifert, of Palmerston North, writes: “I wish to congratulate your paper on the very fine articles that have appeared on the loadm scheme. This is a question that is ol importance to everyone m our Domm“ln regard to the article which appeared in your issue of the Gth just., my personal observations in America bear out the statements made that gravel roads can be kept in first-class order at a very low expense for motor traffic, even when the traffic is much oreater than it is at the present time Sn any of the main highways in our Dominion. The writer has had the pleasure of motoring altogether otHXJ miles in America, and while motoring there had an opportunity of observing the various types of roads and their condition for motor traffic. I gained the impression that it would be a very great mistake for New Zealand to gc in for.an extensive scheme of concrete and bitumen road construction, considering the work is so expensive and that the amount of money which can be obtained for this purpose is limited For this reason I think that oui o-ravel roads should be put m order at once. There- is .no question about being able to do this work, providing tKe engineers are allowed to use a road grader, a road drag, and to get three or four yards of fine gravel trout oh the surface. I do not know why the engineers of New Zealand have not made more use of the road drag or. scraper. The benefit of this implement ha s been known in America

for a long time. ' “While the writer was in Minnesota, he travelled on gravel roads where only fine gravel was used, that were so ‘true that a. car could run smoothly at 10 or 50 miles per hour. The writer also travelled for some thousands ot miles on earth roads, and these roads were also kept in first-class order- by the use of. the road drag or scraper. In many cases the maintenance work was carried out by neigbboui ing farmer taking a few miles of the road. In other cases I have seen a fairly wide and heavy road drag, hitched behind a tractor travelling at about five miles per hour. In one case I remember motoring in lowa after a night’s heavy rain on an earth road. The road dried rapidly tlie following morning, because it was always kept in order. The portion of the road that we travelled over, without being dragged was very uncomfortable. After we came to the part that had been dragged by hauling the road drag I>V a tractor, that went half across the formation, the travelling was very good/ indeed. Though this was an earth road, the bad weather did not do much damage, because the surface was always kept in good order, and no water laid on it. “The writer week returned from a motor tour*' through Rotorua, and while there had the misfortune to motor over some disgraceful roads. Everything there is favourable to having "good pumice roads. The pumice road is extremely satisfactory to travel on when it is properly maintained. While travelling between Taupo and Rotorua there was evidence tliab a man had used a shovel, but there was no evidence that either a road drag or a road grader had been used. The result was that for a large portion of the

road the car could not travel, without being damaged, at a greater speed thau 12 miles per hour. After we left Rotorua to go to Morrinsville, via Aiiamuri, we travelled over a portion of very good road that had recently been graded, while other portions of the road were disgracefully maintained. All these roads could he i>ut in first-class order in a few weeks by adopting com-mon-sense methods that are in use in other parts of the world, and the travelling public of New Zealand would have the advantage of immediately having good roads. “I am afraid that all this talk about concrete and bitumen roads is only diverting the attention of the road engineers from what can be done by proper maintenance methods. Your articles are doing a public service by educating the public, and possibly the engineers to the way the l'oads should be maintained.

‘ ‘Mr. Tyndall’s report is of very great value, and I can bear out the conclusions he has arrived at. If the members of the county councils and borough councils expect the engineers to keep the roads in good order, they must allow their engineers to use a road drag and a grader, and also to put on the roads anywhere from two to four yards of very fine gravel, say from the size of a. wheat grain to the size of a marble. This loose gravel on the surface will prevent patches from forming, and when it works, from the side of the road, the drag will again pull it to the centre at a • very small cost. The question of how often this must he done must be left entirely to the circumstances, but if this work is carried out properly and as often as is necessary, it is a certainty that maintenance cost will be very low, and that the surface of the gravel road will be ideal for motor traffic,”

MOTOR CAMPING TOURS. TAURANGA’S COMMUNITY CAMP. Tauranga has set the Dominion a lead by establishing an up-to-date camp for the benefit of motor tourists. Other districts have made temporary reserves, but Tauranga seems to be the first to do the thing in style with

water, electric light, and even electric cookers available to travellers. . A circular ; issued by the Tauranga Tourist Traffic league makes the following announcement: — “Camping at Beautiful Tauranga.You supply your own tent,, and the Tauranga Borough Council will conduct you to a charming site and arrange your water supply and sanitary conveniences. They will connect up your tent with electric light and give you a small electric cooker at a very low rental. Bathing, surfing, boating, tennis, bowling, fishing, and croquet.'’ In the list of good camping sites along main routes issued in this column las’t week the following section was unfortunately crowded out through lack of space: NAPIER-TAUPO-HAMILTON.

On the Napier-Taupo road halts may be conveniently made at either the ALohaka River, in the vicinity of Tarawera, or near the picturesque Waipunga Palls, some miles before Rangitaika. At Taupe there is a wealth or splendid sites ; either by the lake or in the vicinity of Huka Falls, Ariatiatia Itapids, or elsewhere. On the next stage, the banks of the Waikato at Atiamuri make a good camping ground, and good sites also will be found at Arapuni and Horahora, jf that route be taken. On the Hamilton-Cambridge road there is an excellent spot by the river about 11 miles from Cambridge and five from Hamilton

It may be noted, as per advice from the Waikato branch of the A.A.A., the Te Aroha Borough Council lias established a motor camp at Te Aroha, where are hot springs and the mountain, with streams, and native bush is also an added attraction.

A HARO NUT. A motor-car, immediately alter knocking down an old man, ran into a lorry not ten yards away. Presently the old man, who was not hurt, got up, and one of the bystanders directed his attention to the ruined motor on the other side of the road. The old man rubbed Ins eyes as u to take in the situation better, then gazed intently at the battered car, utter which he exclaimed in a loud voice: “Gracious, lads, 1 must have given the tiling an awful kick as it passed me to have done so much damage. BOAT STOPPED BY FISH. A story is told by a South African paper of how the motor-boat Sjuve, voyaging along the South African coast from Hangklip to Kalk Bay, ran in the early morning into what was supposed to be a hidden sandbank, though it proved to be a shoal of small fish. The fish were so tightly packed in the water that the boat could make no headway, and the dingy, trailing astern, was pushed right out of the water. As daylight grew the crew found that the fish were surrounded by an immense number of seals, that had herded together ■ and were “eating their way into the mass with savage speed.”

MOTOR PROVERBS. Here are some excellent motor proverbs Borrowed from a trade publication : , . Take eaie of the car, or the thieves will .take care of it themselves. _ Time, tide, and road hogs wait tor no man. . An oiling a day keeps the repans man away. . . , A little knowledge of driving is a dangerous thing. • . Take care of the ear, the ditch can take care of itself. A fool and his license are soon parted. It is a wise driver that knows his own failings. A run in the car is worth two in the train. , Hooters speak louder than words. It’s an ill wind that blows the dust about.

THE MOTORING YEAR. The year now iust closed has seen a big increase in the popularity of motoring and a stimulation of interest in all things pertaining to cars. The automobile and motor-cycle clubs have added substantially to their membership totals, a s 'the result of campaigns and of the ever-widening circle of those who own ears. The man who lias but lately joined tile ranks of motorists is not hard to convince of the desirability of joining up with the association in his district, for he is not long upon the road: before lie experiences some of the benefits that organised motorists have gained for him. The South Island Motor Union continues to grow in strength and influence, and the diligence, with which its officers attend to its business often at the expenditure of much time and energy in travelling to general meetings, is reflected in the efficiency of its organisation, and its status in Government Departmental circles. Air arrangement has been made with the North Island Union whereby the two Island bodies confer and act in conjunction on matters of national motoring interest. The Motor Vehicles Act and other legislative matters have occupied the attention of both unions very fully during the year, and there is still much work ahead of the delegates iu these connections. ■

The “colour route scheme” is now in operation ibn the Main South road in this island, and it has been acclaimed as a success by all who tour by road. Briefly the scheme is to indicate to the traveller tjiat lie is on the main road by means of cream and black signs erected at more or less regular distances, and at junctions of subsidiary roads with the main road. The advantage of thus being able toi ascertain that one is on the right road, though many miles from habitations, is obvious. The scheme originally propounded bv the Southland Association was to mark all the principal motoring roads in each association’s district by means of the colour signs, and this is a work which will probablv engage the attention of the South Island Union during the ensuing year, when the main road scheme has become thoroughly established. „ , . .. In . the trade the big feature of the year was. of course, the Olympic Motor Show. This fine exhibition cf cars attracted many thousands of spectators

during the week it was open, and on all sides it aroused the greatest admiration, HERE AND THERE. Many of the world’s leading automobile engineers are of the opinion that a small light-weight automobile, economical in operation, and having a low first cost, will eventually supplement the larger and heavier automobile of to-day. The smalt car will not replace big automobiles, but would fill a need that exists to-day. The small car of the future will be built very low, and probably have' a tread narrower than the present standard. It will be of two-passenger capacity. It’s chief advantages will be fuel economy—4o or 50 miles on a gallon of petrol—and- ease and convenience of handling. Incidentally a machine of such construction would be a great aid toward solution of congestion, since it would take up less room when it is parked or when moving in the traffic stream. The little car will be primarily for city driving in place of the larger automobile, which will be used more for extensive trips, touring, etc. ' . . In 1923 the world’s production ot petrol reached the stupendous total of. 38,000,000.000 gallons, -,of which America used 25,000 million gallons—equal to 66 per cent, of the world’s output. Australia consumed in 1923 50 million gallons, equal to 9 1-5 gallons each for every inhabitant of tliiit country, whilst New Zealand used half that quantity, equal to a consumption per capita, of 20.3 gallons. In the United States of America the petroL consumption equals 226 per head of the population'.